4 days ago
Steve Wright denies attempting to kidnap a 22-year-old woman the night before he 'murdered' a teenage girl
An alleged killer has appeared in court today to deny attempting to kidnap a woman the night before he is accused of murdering a teenage girl.
Bespectacled Steve Wright, 67, wore a grey tracksuit as he appeared at the Old Bailey via videolink from HMP Long Lartin.
He answered 'yes' to confirm his identity before pleading not guilty to attempting to kidnap a 22-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on September 18, 1999.
Wright, a former forklift driver, last year appeared at Ipswich Crown Court via videolink to deny kidnapping and murdering 17-year-old Victoria Hall on September 19, 1999.
Victoria was last seen after an evening out with friends at a nightclub in Felixstowe, Suffolk, on 19 September 1999.
She never returned home and her body was discovered by a dog walker in a water-filled ditch 25 miles away in Creeting St Peter near Stowmarket five days later.
She was abducted as she made her way from the Bandbox nightclub with a friend in the early hours of the morning.
They stopped at a takeaway before saying goodbye at 2.30am 300 yards from Victoria's home.
Wright, a former forklift driver, last year appeared at Ipswich Crown Court via videolink to deny kidnapping and murdering 17-year-old Victoria Hall (pictured) on September 19, 1999
Wright, formerly of London Road, Ipswich, faces a four-week trial at the Old Bailey (pictured) on February 2, 2026
Her parents, Lorinda and Graham Hall, awoke in the morning to discover their daughter had not returned home and a missing persons inquiry was launched.
On September 24, her body was found in Creeting St Peter, around 25 miles from where she was last seen.
Wright, formerly of London Road, Ipswich, faces a four-week trial at the Old Bailey on February 2, 2026.
A further case management hearing will take place ahead of the trial on a date to be fixed.
